Open Prompt #2: October 14th

2006, Form B. In many works of literature, a physical journey - the literal movement from one place to another - plays a central role. Choose a novel, play, or epic poem in which a physical journey is an important element and discuss how the journey adds to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary.

                  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most well known pieces of American literature. Within its’ many lines lies many different truths about the current world around Huckleberry Finn, and many different conflicts that people in the world have faced. After reading the very title of this novel, we can automatically infer that it is going to be an adventure story, of someone going out on a journey to capture something they need. And we see this very dominantly in this novel. As Huck and Jim travel up the Mississippi River we start to see what they are both in need of.  Huck, the protagonist, is on a quest merely for fun, but we also begin to see that he is getting away from his abusive father. Jim is on a quest for freedom. While reading this novel, we see the relationship that forms between Huck and Jim from being on the river, we see that they can be away from the flawed society while on the raft (not completely escaping societal problems), and that they are both on their way to greater freedom.

                  Huck and Jim were already connected from the beginning of the novel. They were a part of the same care family. Willow Douglas and Miss Watson were providing for Huck, while Jim was their slave. In the beginning, Huck thought of Jim only as a slave, of being property. As they spent more and more time together and traveled down the river, he began to realize how everything he was being taught by Willow Douglas and Miss Watson were flawed, and that Jim was in no way a slave. He was a normal human being. Just like a river, they are forced to accept each other for which they are and they and they can change their attitudes towards each other. Jim soon becomes Huck’s father figure. He makes food for Huck, he provides shelter, and he keeps harsh reality away from him. For example, when Huck’s fathers corpse shows up, Jim does his best to shield Huck from it. Jim is Huck’s father figure, and he sets an example for Huck to follow.

                  Immediately, we see that the river is a symbol for freedom. After Huck fakes his death to his father, he has a raft that safely carries him down the Mississippi River, well seemingly safe. Once he runs into Jim, they realize they both are going to the same direction, and they make their quest together. We see that they run into troubles when they are off of the water and on land. For example, one time the river floods, forcing Huck and Jim onto land where they run into criminals who have stolen money and goods. They tried to seem good and like they meant well at first, but Huck was able to tell that they were bad and that they were lying. Also, as they just began embarking on their journey, they are hit by a bad fog storm that causes them to miss the mouth of the Ohio River, which was their original plan to freedom. This shows how the societal problems are not going to go away, and they still affect Huck and Jim while they are just leaving the city of St. Petersberg. After they have traveled a bit further down the river, we see another event that shows how land isn’t exactly safe. They stay with an unknown family while Huck pretends to be someone he isn’t, and after a few days of living well, it all goes down hill. There is a mob that breaks out against the family he is staying with. In response, Huck and Jim flee and begin their travels down the river again. We see that the raft is a good source of safety for both Huck and Jim.

                  Throughout the novel, we see many ways in which Huck and Jim are struggling for personal freedom. Huck is tortured with an unloving father, who abuses him and only really cares about money; while Jim is a slave who had been torn from his real family, and is on a mission to get his family back. Originally, Huck goes on this adventure solely for that purpose; for it being a cool adventure and story to tell. But we see how he is actually escaping from something real, and we see how he is affected by society around him. The teaching of slavery and racism are not accurate, and he wants to get as far away as possible from these beliefs. That goes to say why Jim is fleeing. He wants personal freedom; he wants to find his family that he was torn apart from.

                  Overall, the meaning behind the Mississippi River is a very dominant one in this novel. But the events that occur on the river and the coming of characters are prevalent towards the plot. Both characters discover their true identities by growing a family relationship towards each other, by being away from the flaws of society, and by achieving freedom together. All of the events create these two characters, and provide for a novel depicting society and using satire to show these flaws. The former inexperienced, naïve Huck, transforms into a matured, grown “adult”, while Jim makes a huge jump in roles from being a slave, to being a freed human being.